The success came to an end with the shift to electronics.

2. Christian Sandström holds a PhD from Chalmers
University of Technology, Sweden. He writes and speaks
about disruptive innovation and technological change.

3. Facit was a
manufacturer of…

4. … mechanical
calculators…

10. Typewriters…

12. … And office
furniture…

14. In the period
1920-1970, the
demand for these
products
was huge.

17. Many
countries
had been
destroyed
during the
second
world war.

18. But not
the
Swedish
economy.

19. Re-
building
Europe
implied a
high
demand
for, well,
everything.

20. At the
same time,
there were
few firms
around
who could
supply
what was
needed.

21. Thus, a
company
like Facit
had a
fantastic
position.

24. Facit kept
growing and
growing.

27. More jobs
were created
in the small
town
Åtvidaberg.

40. Facit was
fantastic at
marketing.

41. As Facit grew,
Åtvidaberg grew.

48. The soccer team
became better and
better and most of
the players worked
at Facit…

53. Facit
invested in
new
technologies

57. But the great
profits were still
made on the
mechanical
calculators.

59. Facit expanded
and entered new
markets
throughout the
world.

83. The Facit wizard
kept smiling all
over the world.

92. In 1971-72, the
electronic
calculator put an
end to 50 years of
success.

103. Today, Facit
is history.

116. Photos taken at:
Åtvidabergs Bruks och Facit Museum, Sweden
http://brukskultur.atvidaberg.se/index2.html
Åssa Industri och Bil Museum, Sweden
http://www.assamuseet.se/
Thank You!

117. The archives at ’Brukskultur Åtvidaberg’ are fantastic.

118. Find out more:
www.christiansandstrom.org